Photographer Essay Fun

alpina

alpina

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Before I begin, If you are reading this and will reply with a negative comment...then move along please nothing here for you.:nono:

I have an essay to write for my college course and I get to pick one of the following greats ...

Nadar
Stieglitz
Adams
McCullin
Leibovitz
Gursky.

I really am struggling to choose one as I am fascinated by them all. Gursky is probably my least favorite but seeing the price's he gets for his work makes him an interesting choice. I have to also write about the time that the photographer lived in etc.

It made me wonder who would be the choice amongst my TP pals.
 
Hmmmm - not sure who I'd pick personally, but it can sometimes easier and more interesting to write about your least favourite.

It makes it easier to present a balanced, constructive discussion. What you find unappealing about their work vs what makes it commercial / popular / highly priced. (delete as appropriate)

Having written countless essays in the past, I find that if you're writing about someone you admire and respect it's far too easy to just produce pages of gushing praise without any real substance. Choosing a person / subject that you're not so fond of forces you to delve deeper and analyse it a bit more.
 
SarahLee said:
Hmmmm - not sure who I'd pick personally, but it can sometimes easier and more interesting to write about your least favourite.

It makes it easier to present a balanced, constructive discussion. What you find unappealing about their work vs what makes it commercial / popular / highly priced. (delete as appropriate)

Having written countless essays in the past, I find that if you're writing about someone you admire and respect it's far too easy to just produce pages of gushing praise without any real substance. Choosing a person / subject that you're not so fond of forces you to delve deeper and analyse it a bit more.
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Sarah that makes a lot of sense and very well put across:thumbs:
 
That IS a cracking point Sarah!

I think personally I would go for McCullin because I think that some of his photography helped to change politics and the world we live in more than some of the others, however excellent. :)
 
I'm sorry I can't pass comment as to who i'd choose as some of the names are unfamiliar.
However, thank you for the list. Instead of sorting my Christmas Cards out, I am now going to spend the evening googling photographers.
:thumbs:
 
Loopy said:
I'm sorry I can't pass comment as to who i'd choose as some of the names are unfamiliar.
However, thank you for the list. Instead of sorting my Christmas Cards out, I am now going to spend the evening googling photographers.
:thumbs:
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Let us know who you like please:thumbs:
 
Never heard of Gursky, must look up their work. My personal choise would be Don McCullin as I'm a big fan of black and white documentary work, especially his. I read his autobiography a while back and he's led a fascinating life, although the horrors of what he's seen have affected him, and he's not done any foreign assignments for a long time now. Perhaps his best known image is of the shell shocked American soldier in Vietnam, but he's done a lot more than just war work. He's also done a lot of work in Britain, and his series of work in Bradford in the 70's showed the kind of poverty that existed in this country even during my own lifetime. His Don MCullin in England exhibition in Bradford has now finished unfortunately, but was well worth seeing, and you can still download a podcast of him in conversation: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/DonMcCullin/
 
Gursky is one of the most influential photographers for some time.

Out of that list, I'd probably go for him. If you've never seen one of his shows, you should do - impressive stuff that you just can't appreciate online or in a book. Mind you, I still think he could be better.

I definitely wouldn't write about Leibovitz or Adams.. *yawn*

Stieglitz did a lot of good stuff outside of his own photography as well, which could give more depth to an essay. Also of course a massive innovator who benefited photography in many ways.

Sarah makes a good point, be sure not to just pick your fave and write about how super cool they are. :)
 
How long is the essay?

One thing that I would consider, is whether there are conflicting styles in Leibovitz's work?

Recently she has been in trouble for allegedly taking credit of another photographer's work, I would be interested to see whether the work in her portfolio, which is reported to be worth a large amount (given a large mortgage against it), showed more than one distinct style.
 
I'm a fan of Adams, and his work, amongst othesr, first inspired me to take photographs.

But if I had to write an essay then I would pick McCullin, fascinating character, great photographs, particularly his b&w doco work, and he produced photographs that had an impact on a wider society rather than just the photography world.
 
Easy-Peasy:

McCullin - and there's a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in February being organised by my pal Hilary Roberts - photographic curator there.
 
I'm with Sarah - much more challanging / interesting to write about the one you're not keen on. I don't know who I would pick though because I am woefully ignorent of all of them!
 
coldpenguin said:
How long is the essay?

One thing that I would consider, is whether there are conflicting styles in Leibovitz's work?

Recently she has been in trouble for allegedly taking credit of another photographer's work, I would be interested to see whether the work in her portfolio, which is reported to be worth a large amount (given a large mortgage against it), showed more than one distinct style.
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Minimum 2000 words but no max. I watched some Leibovitz videos on youtube and found her quite irritating.

McCullin is looking like fave at the moment.
 
Arkady said:
Easy-Peasy:

McCullin - and there's a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in February being organised by my pal Hilary Roberts - photographic curator there.
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Rob, regarding his war stuff, do you consider there is much difference in what you do? Is the difference only in your employer?
 
alpina said:
Before I begin, If you are reading this and will reply with a negative comment...then move along please nothing here for you.:nono:

I have an essay to write for my college course and I get to pick one of the following greats ...

Nadar
Stieglitz
Adams
McCullin
Leibovitz
Gursky.

I really am struggling to choose one as I am fascinated by them all. Gursky is probably my least favorite but seeing the price's he gets for his work makes him an interesting choice. I have to also write about the time that the photographer lived in etc.

It made me wonder who would be the choice amongst my TP pals.
Click to expand...

:(
i only know adams...
he didnt do his own printing though iirc..
 
hey there, personally i think you should choose Don McCullin, i did my first year essay on him last year and 'shell shocked soldier' is an image that you can give a vast amount of analysis which will give you a lot of marks
hope i've helped in some way :)
luke
 
actually it depends on what style of photography you're doing, a set up frame in portraiture would favour nadar but the more natural setting would edge toward McCullin. what interests you most?
luke
 
alpina said:
Gursky is probably my least favorite but seeing the price's he gets for his work makes him an interesting choice.
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As he's your least favourite, that is the one I would suggest. It would make you do a bit more research and you may end up understanding his work a bit more.

You may not like it still but at least you will know why.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
As he's your least favourite, that is the one I would suggest. It would make you do a bit more research and you may end up understanding his work a bit more.

You may not like it still but at least you will know why.


Steve.
Click to expand...

I watched an old video that was shown on channel 4 and the presenter guy lived and breathed Gursky, anyway he met up with him and whilst they were out and about Gursky said to the guy something like "this is where I made my favourite image" the presenter said umm which one and Gorsky replied "The Rhine". Now here is the guy looking across the river to where Gorsky is pointing and thinking Really!. It looked nothing like it, all post production like most of his stuff. I really think his success is down to good management and brilliant P.R.
 
Lukecolclough said:
actually it depends on what style of photography you're doing, a set up frame in portraiture would favour nadar but the more natural setting would edge toward McCullin. what interests you most?
luke
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Luke at the moment its not what but who thats getting me going at the moment. So far I think it's the photographers persona tat set's the bar.:thinking:
 
mrcrow said:
:(
i only know adams...
he didnt do his own printing though iirc..
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He did and he didn't. Adams himself was a very good printer, but he did have someone else (who's name escapes me at the moment) do a lot of printing for him as well.

alpina said:
... It looked nothing like it, all post production like most of his stuff. I really think his success is down to good management and brilliant P.R.
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Gursky certainly isn't all PP. He is well known for combining exposures from multiple sheets of film into a final piece. But that's half the point, his pictures are reality, but not at the same time. He mainly does it to play with perspective and lines, that couldn't exist in real life. Nobody said he was a documentary photographer anyway. :)
 
alpina said:
Rob, regarding his war stuff, do you consider there is much difference in what you do? Is the difference only in your employer?
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I think the nature of the conflicts have changed - we are so much less 'kinetic' now apart from during the occasional contacts... In his 'day' photographers roamed pretty freely compared to nowadays where 'embedding' is the norm - you're pretty much stuck with one unit and if they get into something 'interesting' all well and good, but if not, you're stuffed - you can't just jump in a 4x4 and go to where the fighting is.
The days of the 'unilateral' are dwindling and that means the images gathered will be far more controlled...

It was interesting working with the USMC recently as they showed no interest in vetting my images before we transmitted them to Press, but after the articles appeared, there were mutterings at command level that the images were perhaps not showing Marines in such a good light - non-issue equipment, dodgy sunglasses, silly stickers on weapons etc...
I basically acted as a civilian photographer for that three week period and it was quite refreshing.
Working for the Army/MoD means that even though I take the same photos, not all of them get past the vetting process in London.

Unlike video, where the story has be shown in a logical sequence, a still image can still be used to illustrate a variety of different stories...
 
Arkady said:
I think the nature of the conflicts have changed - we are so much less 'kinetic' now apart from during the occasional contacts... In his 'day' photographers roamed pretty freely compared to nowadays where 'embedding' is the norm - you're pretty much stuck with one unit and if they get into something 'interesting' all well and good, but if not, you're stuffed - you can't just jump in a 4x4 and go to where the fighting is.
The days of the 'unilateral' are dwindling and that means the images gathered will be far more controlled...

It was interesting working with the USMC recently as they showed no interest in vetting my images before we transmitted them to Press, but after the articles appeared, there were mutterings at command level that the images were perhaps not showing Marines in such a good light - non-issue equipment, dodgy sunglasses, silly stickers on weapons etc...
I basically acted as a civilian photographer for that three week period and it was quite refreshing.
Working for the Army/MoD means that even though I take the same photos, not all of them get past the vetting process in London.

Unlike video, where the story has be shown in a logical sequence, a still image can still be used to illustrate a variety of different stories...
Click to expand...


Thanks Rob, interesting and very relevant as I have decided to go with McCullin. I will be sure to use this and reference you:thumbs:
 
Out of that list - my vote goes for Don Mcullin.

I grew up (in the UK thank god) during Vietnam war and his images in magazines were incredible. As a teenager it made me want to be a War Photographer!! ( Yeah.... know that never happened - but thats another boring story!!)

But - his non war work is also outstanding.
 
Arkady said:
The days of the 'unilateral' are dwindling and that means the images gathered will be far more controlled...
Click to expand...

And I think that is, in part, due to the political backlash following the images that came back from Vietnam. So you are being directly affected even to this day by the work done of the press corp of that time and undoubtedly McCullin was one of the very best.
 
I'd have to go with McCullin. He's a long time hero of mine and I first came across his work in the "Time Life" books at my local library one day when I was supposed to be at school... I was gobsmacked by the guys courage ( he calls it "bloody stupidity" He got so close to the action You could not help but feel scared on his behalf. It no wonder he's a wreck these days...
 
Arkady said:
Easy-Peasy:

McCullin - and there's a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in February being organised by my pal Hilary Roberts - photographic curator there.
Click to expand...

Would it be worth while getting in touch with the curator for some comments on the work they will be displaying? - will give you some up to date comments in why this work is relevant in todays society and something that no one else will have.
 
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